After the success of the Rebels in the 2015 season many Ole Miss football fans expected 2016 to be even better. However that wasn’t the case at all. An ugly 5-7 season which ended in a 55-20 trouncing by MSU was a hard pill to swallow.
2017 is a new season for Ole Miss football. We will see a different looking team as they take the field with a revamped coaching staff and a few new players on both sides of the ball. With the additions of offensive coordinator Phil Longo and defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff, Rebel fans can expect some different results as well.
Of course, this is also a different type of season for Ole Miss. With the University of Mississippi administration issuing self-imposed sanctions there will be no post-season play. However, this Ole Miss football team has plenty to play for despite not making it into a bowl game. This is a clean slate of sorts. It’s a chance for the revived Ole Miss program to prove itself against the strongest division in college football, the SEC West.
This Ole Miss Rebel team is not content with this season being thought of as a rebuilding year. No they are dead set on proving they are team built for redemption. Of course, this Ole Miss football team has an ax to grind this season and will not be deterred by the naysayers nor the haters. This season will be the retribution. So, let’s have a look at my predictions.
South Alabama Jaguars
The Ole Miss season opener with South Alabama will kickoff from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium September 2, 2017 at 6:30pm. The South Alabama Jaguars from Mobile, Alabama are members of the Sun Belt Conference. 2017 will be the ninth season for the young South Alabama football program.
The Jaguars averaged scoring 24.5 points per game while allowing 27.5 a game in 2016. However, head coach and former Alabama WR Joey Jones has shown an improvement in both the talent and tenacity levels of his team. Ole Miss can expect them to be far better than the team which robbed a win from Miss State last season.
On offense South Alabama is loaded with talented play-makers. Sophomore QB Cole Garvin is the projected starter and had a good spring. Garvin was 15-25 for 202 yards and 2 TDs in the Jaguars spring game. However they are a young quarterback staff. Two more sophomores and a true freshman make up the depth chart.
On defense the Jags are very aggressive and have worked in the off-season to improve upon takeaways. It showed in the South Alabama spring game as the defense had three takeaways for scores in the first 1:21 in the inter-squad contest.
Prediction
My prediction for this game is Ole Miss will score and score often. We know exactly what you expect from the new Phil Longo offense. The question for Ole Miss football fans is when will the defense show up? USA is not the type of team you want to allow to hang around. We saw that in Starkville last season. Ole Miss defense bends but doesn’t break.
Ole Miss 49
South Alabama 21
Ole Miss Rebels (1-0)
UT-Martin Skyhawks
Ole Miss Rebels Football
September 9, 2017 the Ole Miss Rebels will welcome the Skyhawks of UT-Martin to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. The Skyhawks are members of the Ohio Valley Conference in the FCS. UT-Martin finished 2nd in the OVC with 6-2 conference record and finished 7-5 overall.
Of course, this is not the same UT-Martin which Ole Miss hosted in 2015. This UT-Martin is much improved on both sides of the ball. The Skyhawks have a returning QB in Tony Cook who had a great spring game going 15 of 27 for 253 yards and 2 TDs.
Head coach Jason Simpson loves to throw the ball and has a good passing attack. Watch for them to throw a lot against a still questionable Rebel secondary
Defensively the Skyhawks are stout and have a formidable defensive line, however they are suspect in the secondary.
Prediction
Once again, for the second week in a row, the Ole Miss offense will score at will. This will be another huge game for Shea Patterson and the new Longo offense. Ole Miss fans can expect huge offensive numbers for the second consecutive game.
Defensively, the Rebels are beginning to get better in the secondary and the defensive line is really good. However, the Rebel defense is still trying to find itself and give up points.
Ole Miss 63
UT-Martin 20
Ole Miss Rebels (2-0)
California Bears
Saturday September 16, 2017 the Ole Miss Rebels (2-0) will travel to Berkeley, California to take on the Cal Bears from the Pac12 conference. California is also coming off a dismal 2016 season which saw them go 5-7 overall and finishing 4th in the Pac12 North. The Bears picked up wins over Hawaii, Texas, Utah, Oregon and UCLA.
First year head coach Justin Wilcox took over the helm with the departure of Sonny Dykes. Wilcox is a defensive coach by nature so Ole Miss fans can expect to see a much improved Bears defense.
The questions for the bears exist around their offense. How much of Dykes ‘Air Raid’ offense will still exist remains to be seen. However, they do have the talent to make a statement within the Pac12. Of course, they will open their season with a trip to Chapel Hill to take on a stingy TarHeels team. The Bears will face Weber State in week 2. This is when we’ll know what to expect from the Cal Bears offense.
Offensively they do have weapons in many talented players. There has been no official word on which QB Wilcox will start. However, both of Cal’s front-runners for the position had their time under center for the spring game. Ross Bowers had a great game going 18 of 29 for 168 yards and 3 TDs. Chase Forrest went 15 of 29 for 189 yards and a TD while throwing 2 INTs.
Of course, Cal has a variety of skill players who can break open at any moment. Kanawai Noa had a huge showing the spring game with 8 receptions for 112 yards to lead all receivers. According to CalBears.com, 14 different receivers caught passes in the spring game.
Prediction
This game scares me plain and simple. I believe it has the potential to be a 4th quarter shootout. The Rebels will be fired up and ready to compete hard we know. However, the question for the Rebels will be how much improvement Crimedawg’s defense will have made by week 3. Even though it is a night game there will also be a question of defensive depth in the humid California heat for both teams. The defense which shows up late in the 4th wins this game.
Offensively Shea Patterson and Co should be able to put up good numbers. However, this will be the game where the ‘Landshark D’ finally reemerged. This game ends on a late blocked FG attempt by Cal which would send the game to OT.
Ole Miss 38
California 35
Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)
Alabama Crimson Tide
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Coming off a bye week the Ole Miss Rebels will stay on the road to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The September 30, 2017 contest will be the Rebels 4th game of the season while it will be the Tide’s 5th game of the season.
Ok short and sweet here. Ole Miss has won the past 2 of 3 with the Tide. However, it should have been 3 in a row before the second half debacle last season in Oxford. Trust me, the Rebels have circled this game on the calendar for a numbers of reasons.
Of course, the biggest reason is for retribution. Coach Hugh Freeze is the only current SEC coach to have beaten Nick Saban and Bama in consecutive seasons. Some long tenured SEC coaches have never beaten him.
Of course, Bama is loaded on both sides of the ball. However, they were loaded the past three seasons as well. Sure there have been very few changes from what we are accustomed to seeing from Bama football. Jalen Hurts is back of course and that’s just about all you have to say about the Tide.
Prediction
This game doesn’t bother me like it worries many Ole Miss football fans. They are just Bama and nothing special. I also believe they will suffer without Kiffin calling plays. We saw it in the National Championship game last season.
For seniors this will be their last shot at Bama and a chance to take 3 of 4 from the Tide.. This is the big stage for many of these players and they want to go out on top. Well this will be their chance and they know it. Expect the coach Longo offense to spread the Bama D and allow Shea to pick them apart. In an upset, the Rebels prevail.
Ole Miss 28
Bama 17
Ole Miss Rebels (4-0, 1-0)
Auburn Tigers
October 7, 2017 the Ole Miss will again be on the road across state lines as they visit the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Auburn Tigers are coming off an 8-5 season which was surprising to many SEC football fans. However, there were disappointments which head coach Gus Malzahn has worked hard to correct in the off-season. Malzahn also took advantage of a transfer in the arm of five-star quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
Stidham had a good spring with Auburn and is projected to be the starter for the Tigers when they open their season with Georgia Southern. During the spring game Stidham completed 16 of 20 passes for 267 yards and had a 1-yard TD run. They also boast a stable of great running backs and one of the best receiving corps in the SEC. Of course, the Tigers have other threats as well and plenty of players who are expecting to break out.
Defensively all you have to say is Kevin Steele. In his first season as Auburn defensive coordinator the Tigers ranked 7th in the nation in scoring defense and 11th in the nation in red-zone defense. The Tigers have the offense to put up big points and now they have a top defense with Steele at the helm.
Prediction
This the 2nd of 4 games which concern me for the Ole Miss Rebels this season. Not that all games aren’t important, however these 4 are especially troubling to me. Cal was the first and now there is Auburn.
This game is another game which will come down to special teams and defense. However there will be plenty of fireworks on offense making this a possible shootout late in the game like we saw in Oxford in 2015. Unfortunately, the Rebel fall short in the contest on a late Auburn FG.
Auburn 31
Ole Miss 28
Ole Miss Rebels (4-1, 1-1)
Vanderbilt Commodores
Ole Miss Rebels Football
October 14, 2017 will find the Ole Miss Rebels hosting the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for homecoming. The Commodores are coming off a season in which they posted a 6-7 record and finished 5th in the SEC East.
Although the Vanderbilt fans looked at it as a disappointing season they did have wins over Georgia, Tennessee and Ole Miss. Head coach and defensive coordinator Derek Mason has worked hard to build a decent football team in Nashville and has achieved a degree of success. However, it’s been nothing compared to the James Franklin days.
Offensively the Dores can be productive at times, however inconsistency on that side of the ball was a problem for them in 2016. However the Dores have 16 returning starters from the 2016 season. In a conference where experience goes a long way, Vanderbilt will be noticeably improved.
Defensively all you have to say is Derek Mason. Mason has long been known to be one of the best defensive coordinators in the SEC. Mason’s 2017 Vandy defense is returning 7 starters. We can expect more of the same from a tenacious defense.
Prediction
First, I hate scheduling an SEC opponent for a homecoming game. It is literally the biggest insult in football. In some situations it’s like poking a hornets nest with a stick to find out if there’s anything inside. This could be one of those situations. Of course, many of you will say “But it’s only Vandy!”
Please don’t let the Dores SEC history blind you from the Ole Miss/Vandy series. This is not just another series. It’s our cross conference rival and they always play Ole Miss tough. However, they are still just Vanderbilt and we have a score to settle.
This game will have the feel of the typical Ole Miss/Vandy football game. The game will be close headed into the 4th quarter, however Ole Miss will pull away and get the homecoming win.
Ole Miss 42
Vandy 21
Ole Miss Rebels (5-1, 2-1)
LSU Tigers
Ole Miss football will be back in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to host the LSU Tigers on October21, 2017. LSU was searching for a new coach just weeks into the 2016 season to replace Les Miles who was fired after the loss at Auburn. Ed Orgeron would finish out the 2016 season as interim head coach and go 5-2. Of course, Orgeron was named head coach after finishing the season with an 8-4 record and 2nd place in the SEC West.
Offensively, LSU is not short on talent at all. With departure of Fournette it will be all the Derrius Guice show. Of course, LSU has a very capable quarterback in Danny Etling. LSU also has plenty of play-makers for Etling to go to.
Defensively, LSU is a formidable opponent. Coach Ed Orgeron is a defensive minded coach by nature and believe in a tough and aggressive defense. The defense took a hit from losing 6 starters however their depth is basically a reload situation.
Prediction
For every game there is always the other opponents record to consider. This deep in the season I believe the SEC West will be a heated race. Of course, with Ole Miss instituting a post season ban we are out of the picture even with a win over Bama. However, LSU is one of the teams which will be a front-runner. They need this game to have any shot especially depending upon the outcome of their game the week before against Auburn. It’s a must win for LSU.
But not so fast. Ole Miss and LSU always play tough in each others stadiums and with few exceptions the games are generally close. With the Landshark D coming on strong and Shea Patterson thriving on a rowdy atmosphere, this game will be a spoiler for the corndogs.
Ole Miss 24
LSU 17
Ole Miss Rebels (6-1, 3-1)
Arkansas Razorbacks
On October 28, 2017 the Ole Rebels will be welcoming the Arkansas Razorbacks to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. coach Brett Bielema and the Razorbacks are coming off a 2016 season which saw them achieve a 7-6 record and a 5th place finish in the SEC West. This is one stat the Bacon Boys hope to improve upon this season.
The SEC West is the toughest division in college football. They are so dominant there is no second place. Arkansas proves this point with their hard-nosed in your face offense. POUND, POUND and ATTACK is his MO. With senior Austin Allen at QB Bielema has one of the most experienced QBs in the SEC under his command.
The defense will be where the questions lie for the Hogs this season. There are only 6 returning starters of the defensive side of the ball. Their success depends on their depth in the secondary and at linebacker. However, they do have plenty of exceptional athletes on that side of the ball this season.
Prediction
This is another one of the games which worries me. Arkansas has seemed to have our number in game after game. Some of the games have been close OT Hog wins over the years while some have been plain beat downs by the Hogs.
This will certainly be a shootout once again. I see this game as another battle from two strong offenses. Both defenses will be strong enough to keep it close deep in the second half. However, the Hogs show up strong late. The Rebels lose a close one at home.
Ole Miss 35
Arkansas 38
Ole Miss Rebels (6-2, 3-2)
Kentucky Wildcats
November 4, 2017 Ole Miss football will travel to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC East. This isn’t the same old Kentucky team. This is a Kentucky team which is finally coming off a 7-6 season. Mark Stoops has Kentucky fans wound up into a frenzy over something besides basketball and rightfully so.
Many college football pundits have them as a contender to win the SEC East. Stoops got the Wildcats as far as finishing tied for 2nd in the SEC East. In fact, even Brent Musburger has them as his ‘dark horse’ pick to win the East. In a relatively week SEC division I have to agree with Mr. Musburger. However, they have to contend with UGA who thankfully we don’t have to worry about facing this season.
Coach Mark Stoops is a defensive genius and has proven UK will be stout on defense. Kentucky is returning 9 starters on defense so we know the experience and depth to make them a formidable opponent. Of course, they are also returning 8 players on the offensive side of the ball. A pretty good squad coming back considering they are returning 17 of 22 starters.
Prediction
This is another game which worries me even if it is Kentucky and scares me because of the hangover effect from the Arkansas loss. Playing on the Wildcats home field will be tough for the Rebels. Mark Stoops defense keeps the game close until late in the 3rd quarter.
However, the Rebels Landshark D shows up strong and the Rebels score late on two UK turnovers. Shea Patterson has a career day against Kentucky.
Ole Miss 42
Kentucky 17
Ole Miss Rebels (7-2, 4-2)
Louisiana -Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
November 11, 2017 Ole Miss football plays host to the UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns of the Sunbelt Conference. The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off a 6-7 2016 season which ended in a loss to Southern Mississippi in the New Orleans Bowl.
Prior to the 2015 season the Ragin’ Cajuns were dominant under head coach Mark Hudspeth. Of course, Hudspeth and the Ragin’ Cajuns also vacated 22 wins between 2011 and 2014 because of academic fraud and impermissible benefits.
The UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns have plenty of returning talent to compete for the Sunbelt. They have weapons on both sides of the ball which can be outstanding play-makers. However, they are way outmatched for SEC play.
Prediction
No beating around the bush. This will be the second Louisiana football team sent packing back across the river licking their wounds. Ole Miss is way too strong. Ole Miss quarterbacks Shea Patterson and Jordan Ta’amu combine for over 500 yards of passing and 100 yards rushing in a cold November beat-down.
On the defensive side of the ball the Landshark D is in a feeding frenzy. Marquis Haynes stays in the Cajun backfield all afternoon as the defense dominates the game. Rebels account for two defensive scores on four takeaways.
Ole Miss 66
UL -Lafayette 6
Ole Miss Rebels (8-2, 4-2)
Texas A&M Aggies
Ole Miss football plays host to the Texas A&M Aggies on November 18, 2017 in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. This will be the final home game of the season for the Rebels. TAMU is coming off a 8-5 season and a 4th place finish in the SEC West. They haven’t forgotten what Shea Patterson did at Kyle Field and hope to return the favor.
This is coach Kevin Sumlin’s year to try to get the job done. He’s been in College Station long enough now to have tapped into the recruiting hotbed of Texas. Despite losing 7 starters from the 2016 team, Sumlin is in reload mode. There are already offensive weapons to work with in College Station and Sumlin will add to the mix with more of the same.
Once again the question for the Aggies is on defense. How much pressure will they be able to put on a mobile QB this late in the season? The Aggies lost 7 starters on defense including Myles Garrett the No.1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Filling the void left by those departures will be hard.
Prediction
This is another game which has ‘shootout’ potential. Two great offenses will keep the score close going into halftime. This is a game where the team with the most defensive depth gets the win. Expect this game to switch leads multiple time going deep into the 4th quarter. Accordingly, this could be the OT game of the season for the Rebels.
Expect big offensive numbers and tough play by the Landshark D. However, the Aggies find revenge in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on a very late FG. I’m calling the Aggies will top the Rebels in a heart-breaker.
Ole Miss 38
Texas A&M 41
Ole Miss Rebels (8-3, 4-3)
Mississippi State Bulldogs
November 23, 2017 in a short week Ole Miss football makes the trip down the road to TSBU to take on the Mutts. As OleHottyToddy.com senior contributor K.L. Williams so eloquently put it in his season prediction piece for Rebel Nation Magazine,
"“Ahhh, Thanksgiving night in the town that fun forgot.” ~KL Williams"
Nothing says Thanksgiving like heading to watch the Egg Bowl with my Rebel and Mutt friends and family. However, I’d much rather be watching this game in Oxford than Starkville this season. Of course, with everything which has emerged from the NCAA case to seriously implicate Miss State administration, coaching staff and players this game could get really ugly.
For now, we can always count on a high intensity game where there is plenty of attitude and emotion regardless of the venue. This Thanksgiving night will be no different in that sense. However, I do expect both teams to be much improved from last season at least by virtue of their records. I believe State College QB Nick Fitzgerald agrees.
https://twitter.com/nickfitz07/status/876890470508630016
Miss State is of course a good football team with a great quarterback in Fitzgerald. They put up incredible numbers much to his credit last season and will again this fall. They have plenty of talented players around Fitzgerald to light up the scoreboard often. We wait to see if this is a repeat of their 10-2 season in 2014.
MSU makes to the Egg Bowl with 7-8 wins which I believe is not hard to expect from a very stingy defense. Whether or not they have the depth to go deep into ballgames defensively will be the difference. Although inconsistency on defense hurt them last season, I still expect them to be improved to the point of having much unexpected success.
Prediction
Of course, these two teams will both be much better football teams. However this will be nothing like the 55-20 beat-down from the Bullys last season. This will be a hard-fought game and I really expect a low scoring game as both defenses have rediscovered themselves.
Expect well executed games on both sides of the ball until late in the 3rd quarter and a lone INT by Fitzgerald swings the momentum to the visiting Rebels. A late drive by Patterson and Co set up a game winning FG by Gary Wunderlich.
Ole Miss 20
Miss State 17
Ole Miss Rebels (9-3, 5-3)
No Postseason, Future Is Bright
Of all my predictions, this one I am die-hard certain of. There will be no postseason play for Ole Miss. Despite that fact, there is plenty to play for. Ole Miss football will probably know it’s NCAA fate at some point before or during this coming season. I fully expect this to be a huge motivating factor for the Rebel team, staff and fans moving forward. Of course, 9-3 would a huge success considering all the distractions Ole Miss has had to endure.
A couple of quick notes I want to share. One, today I received the July/August edition of Rebel Nation Magazine. In it OleHottyToddy.com senior contributor K.L. Williams released his season predictions. It’s should be noted he picks the Rebels to go 9-3 also however we had not ever previously discussed either of our articles.
Two, I did a poll on Twitter. I asked the question “How many games do the Rebels win this fall?”
POLL TIME! How many games do the Rebels win this fall? HDT
— Ole Hotty Toddy (@OleHottyToddy) June 24, 2017
I’m guessing there weren’t 700+ Bullys voting for us to finish .500 or worse. If that’s the case then we don’t have nearly enough Rebels following OHT on Twitter. Regardless, the results of the poll are worthless. None of us know how the ball in the SEC may bounce.
Of course, we need to have faith in the team first and foremost. This is a season of retribution for the Rebels, the coaches and us the fans. Regardless of a 9-3 season or a 3-9 season we are Ole Miss. No matter what happens on or off the field this Ole Miss football team is the future. Right now the future is bright. I know I’m all in. Are you ready?